The Women’s Commission of the Kurdistan National Congress (KNK) released a statement marking 8 March, International Women’s Day.

“The current process reminds us of 8 March 1910 when Clara Zetkin tabled the idea of an International Women's Day amidst preparations for a great struggle. Clara Zetkin believed that a women-led struggle could confront capitalist modernity. Unfortunately, the life that Clara Zetkin and thousands of women dreamed of couldn’t be realized at the desired level. Four years later, the First World War started and millions of people were massacred. Women had to pay a double price in this war,” said the KNK Women’s Commission, which further included the following:

“In today’s world, we are going through heavy times like the 1910-1914 process. Especially with the war between NATO and Russia, both humanity and nature were faced with great dangers. The first and second world wars have ended, but its traces in Kurdistan have not disappeared. The wars waged by Western countries and Turkey, Iran, Iraq and Syria in Kurdistan have never come to an end. The Kurdish people have been subjected to assimilation, migration, massacre and genocide for a century. A special policy is pursued to eradicate the Kurds from the scene of history.

During the past 40 years, the Kurds have laid the foundations of a powerful resistance. For the last 30 years, Kurdish women have manifested an example of great resistance. This revolution has drawn lessons from all the victories and defeats in the past and struggled to realize the dreams of thousands of martyrs.

The struggle of Kurdish women in four parts of Kurdistan, especially their fight against ISIS in Rojava, have yielded major results, as is seen in the case of Jina Amini who was widely embraced by peoples to shake the foundations of the Iranian regime. Our sisters determine their future in East Kurdistan, Baluchistan and Iran under the motto “Jin, Jiyan, Azadi”, which is now attributed to all women of the world as a result of the endeavour of thousands of martyrs in Kurdistan.

The alternative of the Kurdistan women to the Third World War is emerging more and more every day. On this basis, we remember female revolutionary leaders such as Clara Zetkin and all the martyrs of the Kurdistan revolution with respect.

For a free future, we hope that every day is lived with the slogan ‘Jin, Jiyan, Azadî’.”